Democrat Senator Mark Warner (D-VA) is now facing accusations of openly hinting at a military coup after suggesting on national television that the U.S. armed forces may need to “save us from this President.”
Warner made the explosive remarks Wednesday morning during an appearance on MSNBC’s Morning Joe, where he was discussing reports alleging that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had “put U.S. troops at risk,” engaged in “partisan behavior,” and may have “shared classified information” in a group chat.
Warner said:
“Unprecedented disrespect when they were all brought together for a pep rally in front of Hagseth and Trump. This is an administration that has fired uniformed generals — from the head of NSA to the head of the Defense Intelligence Agency. I think, in many ways, the uniformed military may help save us from this President and his lame people like Hegseth, because their commitment is to the Constitution and obviously not to Trump. I expect Bradley to adhere to that.”
WATCH:
Sen. Mark Warner: “I think, in many ways, the uniformed military may help save us from this President.” pic.twitter.com/L5tfAkKAex
— Gentry Gevers (@gentrywgevers) December 4, 2025
For Democrats, this may have sounded like another routine MSNBC rant. But to millions of Americans, Warner’s comments resembled something far darker.
Almost immediately, Warner faced a wave of outrage on social media, stating that a sitting U.S. senator suggesting the military should intervene against an elected president poses an unprecedented threat to constitutional order.
To highlight the severity of Warner’s language, critics pointed directly to 18 U.S. Code § 2387 – Activities Affecting Armed Forces Generally, a federal statute that criminalizes attempts to influence the loyalty or obedience of U.S. military personnel.
A portion of the statute states:
“Whoever, with intent to interfere with, impair, or influence the loyalty, morale, or discipline of the military or naval forces of the United States: (1) advises, counsels, urges, or in any manner causes or attempts to cause insubordination, disloyalty, mutiny, or refusal of duty by any member of the military…”
The penalty for violating this law is severe:
“Shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both, and shall be ineligible for employment by the United States… for the five years next following his conviction.”
Sen. Warner broke this law: pic.twitter.com/E7b7N96oL8
— JTTCOTM 🇺🇸 (@JTTCOTM) December 3, 2025
